Three years ago I wrote a CAC review of a 1/2-drive impact wrench. Since then, I've become quite fond of using it. As I've become a little lazy as I've gotten older, anytime I have to break loose a fastener larger than 7/16-in, I'll usually get out the impact. I decided to do a little research and see how impact wrench technology may have changed in three years.

A little Googling and I ended up on YouTube watching some of Matco Tool's instructional videos which feature every gearhead's favorite wrench wench, Courtney Hansen, who is Matco Tools' spokesperson. That led me to Matco's web site, its on-line catalog and its selection of air impact tools. I decided to give Matco's "1/2-in Quiet Air Impact Wrench" (PN MT1769QA) a try.

At first, one might think "Quiet Air Impact" is a bit of an oxymoron, but I have to tell you, after the first time I used itâ€“to pull the lug nuts off the left rear tire of my 71 Coupe, I'm a believer. This Matco impact gun is much quieter than the impact I was using before. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any noise figures for the old one, but I did get information from Matco saying its Quiet Impact sound level was 94.2dB whereas the same unit without the Quiet feature (PN MT1769A), had a sound level of 99.8db, which is significantly louder. My guess is a lot of other 1/2-drive air impacts, including the one I reviewed three years ago, will come in at 98-100dB.

The Matco impact has the two button directional control and the dial power control on the back of the gun both of which are becoming industry-standard and are features I like because, if you wear mechanic's gloves, they make manipulating the controls easier. The MT1769QA and it's noisier brother, the MT1769A, are the most powerful 1/2-drive impacts Matco makes and are among the most powerful on the market right now. Their nominal torque range is 50-650 ft/lbs and their maximum rated torque is 780 ft/lbs. The air motor is a seven vane unit and the tool's nominal air consumption is 5.0-cfm.

The Matco Quiet Air Impact can generate up to 1250 impacts-per-minute. The both the Matco and tool I was using before use a mix of materials in their construction. The grip and the back half of each is composite plastic and the hammer case and all reciprocating or rotating parts are metal, but the Matco is a more recent design which makes better use of composite materials and, thus, weighs in at 4.1-pounds, about six and half ounces less.

That near half-a-pound makes difference in the feel and handing of the tool, especially when I'm working on my back, underneath a car trying to reach up and get the gun onto a fastener above my head. No doubt there's a difference in price between cheap impacts and the Matco Tools 1/2-drive, Quiet Air Impact Wrench and to some that might be a problem, but the advantages in the Matco, lighter weight, more torque output and, most importantly, a lot less noise make the Matco a good value for those who use an impact gun often. For more information, see http://www.matcotools.com